


I Make My Matches Myself

by jacquelee



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Community: ladiesbingo, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2018-05-29 01:07:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6352849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jacquelee/pseuds/jacquelee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jenny rather becomes a match girl than take any of the matches her mother wants to arrange for her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Make My Matches Myself

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [ladiesbingo](http://ladiesbingo.dreamwidth.org) for the prompt Yentas and Matchmakers.

Being summoned by her mother was never a pleasant experience, but this evening, Jenny knew that something even worse than normal was going to transpire. 

She was aware of the commotion in the house, meaning they had at least one visitor. Which never meant anything good for her, seeing that her mother tended to insist on what she called "perfect behavior" when they had visitors. And whatever her mother meant with that, Jenny had never ever had any inclination to even try complying with that. 

But that also meant that after the visitors had gone, the yelling and cursing wouldn't stop for weeks to come. Ah, well. Right now, the only thing that was holding her here in any case was the fact that she wanted to collect enough money to leave this wretched place and go somewhere that was not literally the streets of London. 

Which so far, she hadn't been able to do, even though she did have some reserves but they wouldn't last very long. 

Entering the living room, Jenny saw immediately that those reserves might have to be enough as the visitor was none other than Mrs. Highgate-Smith, a well renowned matchmaker. Meaning that her mother had finally carried out her long standing threat of trying to marry her off. 

Immediately after entering the room, her mother and the matchmaker got up. 

"Jenny, may I introdu-"

"Don't bother, mother. I told you, I am not interested in anything a matchmaker would offer me." 

Jenny surprised herself with this reaction, but it was too late to take it back and she didn't want to anyways. If this was going to be the fallout, the last explosion, then so be it.

For a few seconds it seemed like she had effectively silenced her mother, not that she actually believed such a thing to be possible, but Mrs. Flint just stood there with her mouth open, her head getting redder and redder, seeming to swell up beyond possible proportions. 

Then the explosion came, but not like thunder, as might have been anticipated, but worse than that. Taking a few deep breaths, Mrs. Flint seemed to calm down and when she spoke, she did so in a tone that made Jenny's blood curdle with how threateningly vile it was for all the apparent sweetness and calmness. 

"My child, for now, we have tolerated your choice of, shall we say companionship. But now that you are fast approaching an age beyond the common marriageable range, we need to think of your future." 

Jenny laughed out loud, but it was not a happy sound. She was barely seventeen, but of course that was already nearly too old to sell her to the highest bidder. Well, it had to come to this at some point, so why not today?

"You mean the future of this family and what others will think of it. No thanks, I pass." 

She turned to Mrs. Highgate-Smith, ignoring her mother's face turning red again and the poignant way she cleared her throat. 

"Mrs. Highgate-Smith, thank you for your efforts in coming here, but I assure you, there is no match you could make me. I make my matches myself." 

Mrs. Highgate-Smith seemed to be very confused by what was going on, but she didn't have to respond anything since now Mrs. Flint exploded again, still speaking in the same fake calm voice but now with an even more threatening undertone and with a distinct edge in it, that indicated that she was about to lose it and yell even in front of their guest. 

"What you will do is live on the streets. Remember your upbringing and show your manners! Be thankful that I found you such an esteemed matchmaker willing to overlook your past escapades! If you do not comply, you will leave this house right now and no longer be considered a member of this family. We will cut all your support and then you can see where that leaves you!

Now sit down and stop this nonsense!" 

That command had such a vile and threatening vibe that the very clearly shocked and terrified Mrs. Highgate-Smith instinctively sat down, even though it had not been directed at her. But Jenny, who had been treated to commands like this her entire life, had built up some resistance, even though it still made her skin crawl. 

She managed to stay outwardly calm as she nodded to her mother and even mustered a sarcastic little smile. 

"I hear your command Ma'am. I will leave immediately. Good day Mrs. Highgate-Smith." 

Turning around, Jenny tried to not show outwardly how much her entire body was shaking. She tried to concentrate on what was to do right now, how many things she would be able to take with her, how long the money she had collected until now would last her. 

These thoughts helped drown out her mother, who now had forgotten all her countenance and was spewing poison and vile with no regards to the visitor or anything else. 

At the door, Jenny paused for a second and turned around, looking her mother directly in the eyes. One of the things that were being yelled had caught her attention. The sudden eye contact made her mother pause in her rage for a second, long enough for Jenny to say her final words to the person who had tortured her for her entire life. 

"I will happily be a match girl if the alternative is the matches you approve of. At least this way I am the one who chooses which matches to make." 

With that comment, which she deemed sufficiently witty herself, Jenny turned around again, went up to her room, resolutely packed her things and left the house in that same hour, never to return. 

She didn't know what would await her outside and the streets of London were terrifying indeed, as was the prospect of having to work as a match girl to survive. But nothing could deter her from this decision. 

The only matches she would make in her life were the ones she herself chose.


End file.
